I went to Dewan Leong Wan Chin at SMJK Perempuan, Ipoh in Jalan Kampar, Ipoh, last evening to get some photos of the Fair. Since the day I went to Malaysia Airlines – MITM Travel Fair 2010 at MidValley Megamall last month, I have been eagerly waiting for Matta Fair, not that I have the budget to go on a vacation at this point but just to compare the crowd.

I was prepared to pay an entrance fee but was pleasantly surprised that there was no fee charged. I thought that it would be MYR3 or MYR5 and I remember that we had to pay to visit previous Matta Fairs in Ipoh but I love that it’s free!

When I entered the main entrance of Dewan Leong Wan Chin, it felt as if I have stepped into an IT Fair instead. Exhibitors were promoting laptops, online games and internet broadband. And can we do without credit card promoters? They seem to be everywhere, not that I have anything against them.

Tour and travel agents who exhibit at Matta Fair Ipoh are all converged at the main hall. When I arrived, unfortunately, the officiating ceremony was already over. I think I was there at 8pm but the ceremony started at 6pm. All the VIPs had already left by then.

So I went around taking photos and didn’t stop to check out cheap travel deals. However, going to this Matta Fair gave me an idea to go on a cheap cruise for my next holiday. A 2 Day 1 Night cruise in Penang on board Star Cruise’s Star Pieces is only MYR198++. Now, I have no idea what ++ means but it surely can’t be more than MYR100, right? One night on the ship is too short for me, though.

On my way out, a guy who was in his 50s stopped me on my tracks. He spoke to me in Mandarin asking me where I am from. So I replied that I am from Ipoh. Knowing that I had misunderstood him, he rephrased his question, asking me why I was taking photos. I said that they are for “newspaper” and he asked, “Which newspaper?”

Before I could answer him, he went on saying that actually, no one is allowed to take any photos without prior permission. Oh, F him. What’s the big deal, right? I just said that, “Oh, yeah? Anyway, I’m on my way out already.” I already had all the photos I needed for the night, so who cares about getting permission? LOL I need my Press Club badge!

Having been to two travel fairs these couple of months, I noticed that most travel agents advertise their cheap travel packages in Chinese. Why is that so? Is going on a tour a Chinese thing? And do they expect all Chinese to be able to read Chinese? I am very interested in cheap tour packages, actually, but all those Chinese characters put me off, seriously, when all I can make out from their advertising leaflets are the prices!

Oh yeah, I think I would like to go on that cruise but that will have to wait till the next Matta Fair. A big purchase is coming up, you see, so it’s not the right time to splurge. Anyway, if you are planning to catch THIS Matta Fair, it will only wrap up at 10pm, Sunday, 5th September, 2010.

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